


another name

by srididdledeedee



Category: Princess Bride (1987), The Princess Bride - Simon Morgenstern, The Princess Bride - William Goldman
Genre: "really? another story about a character being jewish?" yes and what about it, Jewish Inigo Montoya, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-28
Updated: 2020-05-28
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:00:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24424648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/srididdledeedee/pseuds/srididdledeedee
Summary: Inigo is fiercely proud of his Spanish identity.  It surprises many to find out he is also a Jew.
Relationships: Fezzik/Inigo Montoya
Comments: 6
Kudos: 35





	another name

**Author's Note:**

> wow and it only took one (1) year to finish this

Inigo is fiercely proud of his Spanish identity. In Florin, he sticks out like a sore thumb with his head full of dark hair and his strange accent. The Florinese don't know much about Spain aside from its Castilian dialect, so Inigo loses his identity as _un aragonés_ and simply becomes a Spaniard to those he meets. And what a Spaniard he is—he sings _en español,_ wistfully speaks of _los Pirineos_ of his home _,_ and will never drink beer when there is wine to be had (of course, when the wine is gone, then it is a different story). To ask Inigo about his home country is to open a faucet that you cannot turn off, until it drinks itself to sleep. Some find it charming, others find it tiring, but all are made aware Inigo Montoya is a Spaniard, through and through.

It surprises many to find out he is also a Jew.

Vizzini finds out soon after hiring Inigo, and Inigo is still not sure what he said or did to reveal himself. Vizzini has a comment, because Vizzini must comment on everything, but it is nothing too terrible. Something about how they weren’t taking Sundays off, so Inigo best not expect Saturdays off. Inigo shrugs off the comment. He has heard worse, and he has not taken a Saturday off since his father died.

Miracle Max notices right when Inigo walks in the door. He makes a comment to himself that no one is supposed to catch, but Inigo does.

“Half-carrying a nearly-dead body but can still take time to touch the mezuzah? Someone was raised right,” he mutters. If Inigo was not in such a bad mood, he might smile.

The Dread Pirate Roberts, who Inigo learns to call Westley, is taken aback. It does not come up until his official wedding to Buttercup, when he offers Inigo the honey-roast ham and Inigo has to politely decline

“Isn’t Kosher, my friend,” he apologizes with a smile. 

“Pardon?” Westley asks, with a smile of his own.

“My ancient laws forbid it. It’s fine, there’s more for your beautiful bride,” Inigo says, and Westley laughs.

“I didn’t think Montoya was a Jewish name,” he murmurs, and there are a number of things Inigo could say, the least being “it isn’t,” or perhaps, “any name can be a Jewish name, my friend,” but he says nothing.

Wesley’s beautiful bride, Buttercup, hides her surprise better than Wesley. She simply comments, “You must tell us more some other time, dear Inigo. We know so little of your upbringing.”

It is Fezzik who Inigo does not have to tell. Fezzik watches Inigo work from Friday night to Saturday night, and touch Miracle Max’s mezuzah, and pass the honey-roast ham down, and says nothing. Fezzik seems to have known Inigo’s truth since Greenland, and says nothing of it until sometime after Buttercup and Westley are married.

They are sailing—Inigo is the Dread Pirate Roberts now, in a sense, with his own small crew. He tries to avoid other ships as much as he can, because the Dread Pirate Roberts leaves no survivors, and Fezzik doesn’t like killing, and Inigo prefers it when Fezzik is happy to when Fezzik is sad. There is no need for the world to know that the Dread Pirate Roberts has a heart. Inigo is always looking for a new Dread Pirate Roberts, anyway, so he and Fezzik can be free of the burden.

They are together, because Fezzik does not like to be alone, and Inigo can finally admit the same. He finds it easier to admit things about Fezzik—things like “I need you, Fezzik” or “I want you, Fezzik,” or “I love you, Fezzik,” but it is a different matter with himself. He is Inigo Montoya, the Spaniard, the Jew, and he is not used to putting his pride aside to say things like “I am scared, Fezzik” or “I am sad, Fezzik,” or “I am deeply, deeply lonely, Fezzik.”

(He still would not phrase things as such—Fezzik has complained numerous times about how few words rhyme with his own name.)

So they are together, and Fezzik says, “Inigo, what is your name?”

Inigo raises his eyebrows. “I could ask you the same.”

“Your real name, Inigo,” Fezzik says, and Inigo knows he is serious, because his own name is also difficult to rhyme with in Florinese. 

“Do you think I am a flamingo?” He says instead, and Fezzik chuckles. 

“That is a good rhyme, but I’m being serious,” he says. “Please, Inigo. I am just curious.”

“I could ask you the same, Fezzik,” Inigo says. 

“Fezzik is the only name I have,” Fezzik says. “My parents thought it would be enough. If I had another, I would’ve told you long ago.” A pause, then— “I did not mean to say you should’ve told me long ago. It’s your choice.”

Inigo sighs. “It is not easy to rhyme with.”

“Neither is “Inigo,”” Fezzik points out. “And I can’t rhyme in Spanish. Maybe it will be easier to rhyme Hebrew with Turkish.”

Inigo laughs. “Perhaps.” There is another pause, and then he says, “You must forgive me, Fezzik. No one but my father knew my name. It is a little painful to think about.”

“I hope it will be less painful if you share it,” Fezzik says, and squeezes his hand. 

“No more painful than…a carrot,” Inigo says, then shakes his head. “I am sorry, Fezzik, that was a silly rhyme.”

“Just give it time,” Fezzik responds with a smile.

“Thank you,” Inigo says, and he means it. He grips Fezzik’s hand tighter. “It’s Isser. Not very Spanish at all, is it?”

“Isser,” Fezzik tries out. “Not very Spanish, no.”

“And hard to rhyme with,” Inigo says.

“Isser,” Fezzik repeats. “My Inigo is a very good kisser.”

Inigo laughs at that. “Fezzik, you found a rhyme!”

“Not so hard,” Fezzik says. “I think it might be easier than Inigo is.”

“I suppose I will have to prove it, now,” Inigo says, and moves to kiss Fezzik.

“And how,” Fezzik agrees.

Inigo Montoya is a Spaniard, and a Jew, and proud of that. 


End file.
